We all remember when quarantine started eight months ago and we were sent home from school. We thought we would be back in a couple of weeks. Little did we know this was going to last many months. For many of us, we've been stuck at home bored with nothing to do just because of Covid-19. Maybe you've found yourself staring at walls or just looking at yourself in the mirror.
Although the pandemic has been very challenging, maybe it isn’t as bad as we thought. From my perspective, I’ve actually been very productive. In particular, I’ve played more video games, read more, and experienced more activity than usual. For the first time, I’ve been able to jump rope outside on my deck. I’ve spent much more time outside, with the fresh air, and used my deck a lot more. I've also enjoyed playing more soccer, especially with my father.
To find out how others responded to quarantine, I interviewed many of our Julius West staff and students and researched online. “I painted and cooked more and spent more family time,” a student said anonymously.
Another student shared, “I got to spend more time with family, organize, read, color, bake, and watch movies.”
I also interviewed some teachers. Ms. Chan, the sponsor of The Roaring Gazette, expressed, “Since I don't have to commute to school, I have much more time to get ready, and I really appreciate that I have time to eat lunch and use the restroom whenever I need--at school, I often had to choose between the two!”
Ms. Shayuth had almost identical answers. She was able to take more walks with her dog, cook delicious food, and spend more time with her family.
Many of these responses show a similar perspective: more productivity. On a normal, pre-Covid school day, a teacher would have to wake up early, hopefully after a good night’s sleep. Most of the time, teachers have to deal with a lot of stress. School starts very early, and they have to get ready even earlier. Depending on where they live, they have to leave at the perfect time. They might be behind on grading work, or they might end up late to class if there's traffic. Even though quarantine seems relaxing at times, there are still a lot of thoughts going through their heads, like teaching lessons on Zoom, helping students who get kicked out of meetings, or still being behind on grading. Technology can be very hard to work with, but it can also cause less stress. Teachers have to manage a lot of challenges, but in quarantine, many have shared that they are much more efficient with their time.
From online research, I found very similar conclusions. The main thing was increased learning. From calligraphy to a new sport, many people learned a new skill during their free time at home.
Many of you may be thinking how much you miss your friends, but try to think on the positive side. Do your best to relax and make the most of your time in quarantine and continue to stay positive, just like a Julius West Jaguar would do.